Commentary for Genesis 30:20

זבד טוב A GOOD DOWRY — explain it as the Targum renders it: a good portion.

G-D HATH ‘Z’VADANI’ (ENDOWED) ME WITH A GOOD ‘ZEVED’ (DOWRY). The commentators have not found the source of this word in the Sacred Language.
We could perhaps say that zeved is a composite word formed from zeh bad, just as is the word madua, [which is composed of the two words, mah dua, meaning “what is the opinion of this matter” or simply “why”] or the word bagad¹¹⁹Verse 11 here. in its written form. [It is read, however, as two words: ba gad (good luck cometh.)] Since the vowel signs segol and patach interchange in many places, particularly in composite words, [the second segol in zeved could have come from the patach of bad: zeh bad]. So also in the word tzalmaveth, [which consists of the two words: tzeil maveth (the shade of death)], and the word biladai, [composed of bal ad (except unto, except unto me, or except me)]. And the second part (bad) of the word zeved comes from the word badim (branches), as in, ‘badei’ (staves) of accacia-wood;¹²⁰Exodus 25:13. And it brought forth ‘badim’ (branches), and shot forth sprigs.¹²¹Ezekiel 17:6. The thick branches of a tree are called badim, and then the word was appropriated to mean “children,” as in, The first-born of death shall devour ‘badav’ (his sons);¹²²Job 18:13. His ill-founded ‘badav’ (sons).¹²³Isaiah 16:6. See Rashi there, who explains the verse as follows: for most of Moab’s sons are illegitimate, etc. Therefore Leah said that this son whom G-d had given her would be a good son for he will cause her husband to reside in her shadow, as “he will now ‘yizbleini’ (dwell with me) in my shadow.” Similarly, I have surely built Thee a house ‘z’vul’ (of habitation),¹²⁴I Kings 8:13. meaning “in order to abide in His shadow.” This was said in this fashion out of respect for the Supreme One, just as Solomon said, Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house that I have builded!¹²⁵Ibid., Verse 27. Likewise, The sun and moon stand still ‘z’vulah’ (in their habitation),¹²⁶Habakkuk 3:11. meaning “stand still in the place where they abide,” as it is said, In them [the heavens] hath He set a tent for the sun.¹²⁷Psalms 19:5.
Now Onkelos translated zeved tov as a good portion. I did not understand his reasoning until I saw in the Jerusalem Targum:¹²⁸Found in our Targum Yonathan. The traditional Targumim (translations) of the Pentateuch are Onkelos, Yonathan, and Yerushalmi. The latter has not reached us in its entirety. “The word of G-d has outfitted me (zavad) with good provision.” [Zavad is written here with two vavim instead of the beth with which the word zeved is written in the Torah.] From this I learned that both Onkelos and the Jerusalem Targum considered the word zeved of the Torah, which is spelled with the letter beth, as if it were written with the letter vav, and they connected it to the Aramaic language which translates the Hebrew word tzeidah (provision) as zvadim (provisions). Leah thus said that G-d had made this son a good provision and a good portion for her because her husband, due to her many children, will now live mainly with her, and thus she will be supported together with him when it is well with him. The vav and the beth are used interchangeably in our language in many places, such as: ta’avah (desire) written with a vav,¹²⁹Above, 3:6. and ta’avah, written with a beth;¹³⁰Psalms 119:20. geivi (My back) — [written with a vav] — I have given to the smiters,¹³¹Isaiah 50:6. and, Upon ‘gabi’ (my back) — [written with a beth] — the plowers plowed.¹³²Psalms 129:3. So also, ‘Lekitzvei’ (To the bottoms) — [written with a beth] — of the mountains I went down,¹³³Jonah 2:7. is as if it were written, lekitzvei with a vav. Also, ‘Laparbor’ (For the precinct) — [written with a beth] — westward, four at the causeway,¹³⁴I Chronicles 26:18. serves as the basis of the word parvor, written with a vav, as it is written, By the chamber of Nethan-melech the officer, which was ‘baparvorim’ (in the precincts),¹³⁵II Kings 23:11. written with a vav, and the meaning of both forms, [whether written with a beth or vav] is the Court which is outside the wall. ‘Umigrash’ (And open land) round about the cities,¹³⁶Numbers 35:2. is rendered by the Jerusalem Targum as, uparvor. And so did the Jonathan Targum translate migrashoth (open lands) as parvoraya.¹³⁷Ezekiel 27:28. In the Mishnah we also find the vav and the beth interchange: “A tarvad (spoon)-full,” written with a vav,¹³⁸Nazir VII, 2. and in some editions it is written, tarbad, with a beth; “A board which has no levazbiz (edges),” written with a beth,¹³⁹Pesachim 48b. and in certain places they use the word lazbiz, written with a beth,¹⁴⁰Kelim II, 3. while in other places they use lazviz written with a vav.¹⁴¹Source is unknown to me. Also, itztaba (a balcony), written with a beth,¹⁴²Shabbath 7a. and itztava, written with a vav,¹⁴³Eirubin 77b. and many other similar words. In the Jerusalem Talmud they also write avir (space)¹⁴¹Source is unknown to me. with a beth in place of the usual vav, as they were not particular about that.

זבד, an expression denoting a generous portion of something, depending on the context in which the word is used.

Elokim has given. Hashem gave her Yissachar in reward for her first effort in giving Yaakov her maidservant and He gave her Zevulun in reward for her second effort in trading the jasmine flowers for an additional night with him.

ותהר...ותאמר זבדני אלוקים אותי זבד טוב, the meaning of the name corresponds to the circumstances surrounding the child’s birth. As to the apparent repetition, i.e. saying אותי, something already mentioned by the suffix ני in the word זבדני, this may have been to make her intention in naming the boy even more unmistakable. It is also possible that the letters את in this word mean “from,” as in Genesis 44,3 הם יצאו את העיר, “they had departed from the city,” so that the suffix י would make the word mean “from me.” She would then have emphasised that not only had she been built up through raising the children of her handmaid, but that G’d had even granted her additional children from her own womb. She was grateful that her husband’s semen when sleeping with her did not go to waste. She was grateful that the gift of this baby originated in her womb.

הפעם יזבלני אישי, “this time my husband will reside with me.” Seeing I have so many children my “tent” is no longer adequate for my needs. My husband now has to take me into his tent.

ותקרא את שמו זבולון, “she called his name Zevulun.” As we mentioned already, she attributed her good fortune to the emanation תפארת, “harmony,” [the sixth of the emanations counting from the lowest מלכות upwards. Ed.] This is the reason that the terrestrial Holy Temple is sometimes referred to as זבול in the writings of our prophets. [We also have the expression זבול בית תפארתנו in a song sung on the Sabbath. Altogether, the emanation תפארת represents the highest rung of the spiritual ladders average Jews are capable of attaining during their lifetime. Ed.] When Leah commented about her accomplishment of having born six sons for Yaakov she may well have had such a thought in her mind.

Having a similar meaning as בית זבול... Meaning: his dwelling will be with me. The suffix ויזבלני denotes “with me.” It does not mean he will take me to his dwelling.

זבד verwandt mit ויצבט קלי ,צבט (Ruth 2), jemanden etwas zumessen, zuteilen, und הצבתים ,צבת (das.): die zusammengenommenen Garbengebinde. Ebenso צבת: das Werkzeug, mit welchem man etwas von einer Masse zusammennimmt, Zange. Daher זבד: der beschiedene Teil. Da das אותי wiederholt die Person hervorhebt, so kann es auch heißen: Gott hat mich zu einem guten Teil — für meinen Mann — gemacht. Mein Mann findet in mir die Erfüllung seiner Wünsche. Ebenso יקבלני. Vergegenwärtigen wir uns, dass זְבול zunächst nur als Charakteristik des בית המקדש in seiner Geeignetheit für Gott vorkommt: בנה בניתי בית זכול לך (Kön.1. 8,13) ebenso מזבול קדשך ותפארתך (Jes. 63, 15); dass זֶבֶל; chaldäisch und rabbinisch das Mittel bezeichnet, den Boden zur entsprechendsten Aufnahme der Saat ge- eignet zu machen: Düngen; dass סבל, verstärkt, das Tragen einer auferlegten Last, somit Hingebung aller seiner Kräfte als Boden und Unterlage eines Gegenstandes bedeutet: so scheint זבל nicht einfach Wohnung, sondern eine solche Stätte zu bedeuten, die den Zwecken, Wünschen und Begehrungen dessen, für den sie bestimmt ist, vollkommen entspricht: eine behagliche, entsprechende Wohnung. Sodann auch Habakuk 3, 11. שמש ירה עמד זבולה, Sonne, Mond, harrten an der Stätte, der sie immer zueilen; die Sonne ging nicht unter, der Mond nicht auf, oder umgekehrt. Ebenso Psalm 49. 15 וצורם לבלות שאול מזבול לו, ihr, der Gerechten, Wesen ist bestimmt, das Grab zu überdauern, dass es, das Grab, ihnen nicht die eigentliche, endliche Stätte bleibe. הפעם יזבלני אישי hieße demnach: jetzt wird mich mein Mann als seine eigentliche Stätte anerkennen (vergl. מעון אתה), wird sich bei mir vor allem heimisch fühlen.

יזבלני אישי, “my husband will make a home with me.” The word is a composition of two words. Examples of similar constructions are found in Jeremiah 10,20: my sons will leave me; as well as in Genesis 49,19 גדוד יגודני, “troops will be called up from the tribe of Gad.”

יזבלני WILL RESIDE WITH ME — It has the same meaning as (1 Kings 8:13) “a house for dwelling (זבול)”. In old French herbergerie, a dwelling house. Leah meant: From now on his real home will be with me since I have as many children as all his other wives together.

(2) WILL EXALT ME. As in (I Kings 8:13), "I have now built for You a stately House," an expression of residence.

A goodly portion. She was deserving of reward because her only intention was to increase Hashem’s honor.

הפעם יזבלני, my house will now become his permanent residence seeing that I have born six sons for him. She perpetuated this feeling of Yaakov making his home predominantly in her tent by naming the child Zevulun.

His main dwelling place will not be other than with me... Re’m writes: I do not know why Rashi states it as a negative, “Will not be other than,” rather than as a positive, as the verse itself implies: “Now his main dwelling will be with me.”